Universal power saw



v July 25, 1944. P. VAN slcKLE- UNIVERSAL POWER SAW Filed July 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvEnToR,

' July 25, 1944.

P. \(AN SICIKLE UNIVERSAL POWER SAW Filed July 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vK 5 5 R mm r T o n Mm A wi Illll Ill/.1 Ill IIIA Patented July 25, 1944 7 UNIvEasAL rowan saw Pierre VanSickle, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application July 30, 1942, Serial No. 52,895

- 2 Claims. This invention relates to means for attaching to a mobile power unit, suchas a farm tractor orthe like, for sawing down timber. cuttin down trees, trimming limbs from down logs, and for cutting cord wood. I

A primary object of the invention is to provide a structure of the type above indicated which is quite universal in its range of operation in that a circular saw may beoperated as aswingingcut-ofl saw from a vertically disposed plane around through any angle therefrom to a lower horizontally disposed plane. all without having toalter in any respect by belt change or gear shifting the saw driving system between it and the power unit.

A further important object of the invention is to provide aunit of the type above indicated which may be readily attached and detached to and from the tractor whereby power may be utilized from that tractor, and further whereby the tractor itself may supply power to apply pressure against a standing tree to prevent pinching action on the cutting oil saw.

These and many other objects and advantages of .the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying-drawings,.in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the invention as attached to a tractor;

Fig. 2, a view in section on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

r Fig. 3, a top plan view of the inventionattached to the tractor;

Fig. 4, a view in front-elevation of the structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 5, a view in vertical transversesection on and lower braces i4 and II respectively engaging by their inner ends with a transverse frame member ll. secured in turn to and between the irons ii and II. The forward ends of the braces i4 and II are interconnected with the disc it by any suitable means. such as "by the bolts II.

Thus the disc I! is rigidly supported by the ex tending irons Ii and I2 in.a vertically aligned position.

A pair of rings II and obp ingfaces with internaldiameters less and external diameters greater than the diameter of the disc 18, are slidingly fitted againstthe rear the line I-! in Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6, a detail in vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale on the line 08 in Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the, drawings.

The invention may be applied to a wide range of types of tractor units, one such unit being shown in the drawings and generally designated by the numeral I0. In the present form of the invention, channel irons Ii and. i2 are respectively applied over the forward ends of the tractor frame in a telescoping manner whereby these irons I I and i2 may extend forwardly from the tractor frame a short distance, serving as cantilever extensions of the frame. A disc I! is fixed in avertically disposed position across the front ends of these irons II and i2 by any suit and front faces respectively of the disc ii and axially centered thereof by means of a plurality of rollers 20 spacing apart those rings II and II and riding on the periphery of the disc l8. These rollers 20 are revolubly secured between the I rings II and I! by any suitable means, herein shown as by means of the rivets 2| passing through the rollers and both rings to beheaded on eachside thereof. The rings II and ll thus assembled on the disc ll may be revolved circumferentially around the disc I! without disengagernent therefrom by reason of the rings overlapping radially inwardly on the respective faces of'the disc. I v

Secured to the front faceoi' the ring i! are a pair of horizontally spaced apart frame members 22 and 2!; herein shown as being in the shape of channel irons and reinforced in their connections withthe ring I! by means of angle bars 24 and II extending upwardly alongthe outer faces respectively of the members 22 and 22 and:

then up along the outer face of the ring 10-. See Fig. 2. The inner ends of the members 22 and 23 are preferably welded to the (face of the ring ll. These members 22 and 23 extend horizontally forwardly to receive thereacross a carrier shaft 2!, this shaft being carried by suitable bearing'blocks 2t and 21 mounted respectively on the members 22 and 23 to have the shaft extending transversely across the members 22 and 23, herein shown as thereof.

The shaft 25, Figs. 3-5,.has a length extending outwardly beyond the member 23 on which is rotatably mounted a swing frame 28. This frame 2| is composed essentially of corner angle irons 28 carrying bearings that :fit-over the shaft 2i, and that also carry upper bearings and]! through which extends the saw mandrel 32. The bearings 30 and H are spaced apart'sufliciently to have one or more belt driving pulleys l3,

able means, Fig. 6, herein shown as by the upper 56 herein shown as two in number, mountedlon the is. having rat as on the upper sides above the shaft 25.

shaft 28. A circular saw 84 is mounted on the outer and of the shaft 82 which extends beyond the outer left-hand side of the frame 28.

One or more pulleys 88, herein shown as two in number, corresponding in number with the number of pulleys mounted on the mandrel 82, are mounted on the shaft 25 within the frame 28, and belts 38, herein shown as of the V-type, are placed around the respective pulleys 83 and 88 for driving connections therebetween.

The lower end of the frame 28 carries a counterweight '31 as a means for approximately counterbalancing the mass including the saw carried The spacing apart of the mandrel 82 and the shaft (one is mounted parallel with the other) will depend somewhatupon the diameter of the saw 84 with which it is desired to saw, although the diameter is not the limiting factor. The framework 28 should be sumcientlylong in reference to its extension from the shaft 28'to permit mounting on its inner face adjacent thev frame'member 28 means for mechanically'rotating theframe 28 on the shaft 25.

'To'rotate the frame 28 and control its position rotate'about the'sha'ft 25. This result maybe produced in any number' of waya'one particular form being herein shown wherein the ringgear 42 is mounted on a disc 43 that is spaced'from a second disc by a plurality of rollers 45, Fig.5. The disc is fixed'to the inner side of the frame 28 and the shaft 25 extends freely through both dlscslland 44. Between'the discs 43 and 44 is a ring 48 having an'i nternal diameterless than the diameters of the discs" and and so formed as to have the inner periphery of this" ring ride onthe rollers 48; The; ring 48 is fixed in position relative to the forward frame members 22 and 28 by'upperand lower braces- 41 and 48 respectively, the inner ends of whichare fixed to and across member" which'is' in' turn fixed to and between the frame-members 22 and 28'.

The pinion gear 4| is heldin constant mesh with the ring gear42 by a suitable supporting bracketlll from which a shaft extends to engage a universal-joint 5| "in turn fixed on a shaft 52.

supported by the bracket 83, Fig. 1. The shaft 82*in turn'engag'es with a universal joint 54 to which thecontrol shaft 4|I- is attached. Thus by revolving thehandwheel 88, the pinion gear 4| 5 may: likewise be turned; causing corresponding rotation of the frame 28 about the shaft 25. 'By

means of the discs4'3 and 44' with theintervening ring 48, bending stress on the shaft 25due'to the tractor: extension frame'ironsii and.|2 back of the disc I! by suitable bearing blocks 58 and .81. See Fig. 3. Drivingpulleys 58, Fig.2, herein shown as two in number, are mounted in a fixed mannergon; the shaft 55 centrally between the n frame irons ll and i2 to carry V-belts.59 which extend through a central. opening provided in the ass eas disc is to engage around like pulleys 88 fixed on the shaft 28. The forward frame members 22 and 28 are spaced equidistant from the longitudinal center line which falls on the axis of the disc II. On the outer right-hand end of the shaft 88 is fixed a driving pulley 8|, herein shown as being driven by a belt 82 from the power take-off pulley 83 of the tractor l8.

As above indicated, the rings I8 and H are revoluble around the disc I! and therefore the forwardly'extending frame members 22 and 28, with all of the elements above described as being carried thereby, are likewise revoluble around the forwardly extending horizontal axis of the disc l3. To control and fix the position of revolution of this forwardly extending framework, a handle bar 84 has an inner end fixed to one of the rings is and i9, herein shown as to the ring l8 through the angle bar 24. The bar 64 extends outwardly a suflicient distance to provide leveragepermitting an operator to lift the weight of the frame 28 and its attendantparts. A latch pin 88 has a length which extends through a yoke 88 that is fixed to'the ring is and turns over and downwardly behind a sector 81 which is provided with a plurality of holes 88 through which a horizontally disposed length of the pin 88 may. be inserted. For convenience, a cam block 88 is pro- 'vided through which the pin is inserted where- 81." This may be accomplished regardless of whether th saw'184 is in motion or stationary since this turning movement does not aflect the driving of the saw 34 other than to cross the belts 89 during the turnin movement, this crossing in no manner affecting the continuity of drive and permitting the carriage to be swung at will without having to shift belts or the like. By reason of the mounting of the belts" to be about thelongitudinal axis of the'structure, this crossing is permitted without setting up any undue tension onthe belts, the belts '89 being of the V-type to maintain drive without appreciable slippage.

Suspended from the under side of theframe members 22 and 23 isa' U-shaped stop or push member 18, the legs of which are free to swing downwardly normally and the interconnecting bar of which is rockably mounted in suitable bearings secured to the under side of the frame members'22 and '23. A bracket 1| is also secured to the under sides of the members 22 and-22 in a fixed mannerto extend downwardly and forwardly to serve as a stop against which th member 18 may swing and rest; Preferably the lower ends of the legs of the member 10 are tied together by a cr0ssbar12.

above the ground level so thatthe tractor it! may be free to move about without th ends of these legs digging intothe ground. This member 18 serves as a stop against which a log may bear as it is being cut off while lying on the ground when the saw is in its lowermost dash line position,

Fig. 1." {Also this member 10 may beemployed The lower ends of the legsof this member 18 terminate a slight distance aasacas I gravity. .or course the tractor will be Dosito push against a log to roll it along on the ground or move it bodily as the occasion may arise. I

Fitting within the frame members 22 and 28 in a telescoping manner are a pair of spaced apart bars I! and 14, Fig. 3, on the forward ends of which that project beyond the members 22 and 23 are a pair of transversely extending angle bars II and I1. These bars it and I1 extend beyond the bar N, Fig. 3, to terminate by their ends in a vertical plane spaced slightly to the right of the plane of the saw 84. Rotatably secured between these angle bars II and H are a' plurality of.

rollers ll, herein shown as three in number. This structure supported in an extended manner from the frame members 22 and Il serves as a table across which small logs, limbs and the like may be positioned to have outwardly extending ends in the path of the saw 3| to be cut off thereby. The table structure is further provided preferably with a pair of upturned back guards I! and ll against which the material being cut off may be pushed and held during the sawing operation.

When the saw 14 is to be operated in a hori- -aontally disposed position, such as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 4, particularly when a standing tree is being cut, my invention incorporates means for applying pressure against the tree away from the saw first in orderv to prevent binding of the faces of the kerf upon the saw and, secondly, to push the tree on over away from the tractor and its attached sawing mechanism in order to direct the line of fallof the tree.

This structure for applying pressure to the standing tree consists essentially of an inclined pair of rails BI and 82 having their forward ends at a higher elevation than their rear ends and supported from the tractor and the side irons ii and I! in any suitable manner, such as by the standards 83, 84 and I5, 86. Telescoping with .these rails ll and I2 are rails 81 and BI respectively to be free to slide therealong in a fore and aft direction. These telescoping rails '1, II are tied together at their forward ends in any suitable manner, such as by the arcuate bar 89 curving rearwardly and having extending from its forward face a plurality of tree engaging spikes 8!; herein shown as being two in number. i

The rear ends of the telescoping rails 81 and II are tied together by a crossbar 9| to which a cable 92 is secured to extend forward around a pulley 93 secured to a crossbar 94 that is attached to the rails 8| and 82. See Fig. 4. From the pulley 93 th cable extends laterally to a pulley 95 carried on the outer end of an extend ing portion of the bar 94, and from which pulley 85 the cable is carried downwardly to engage about a third pulley 9' that is anchored to a bar 91 extending laterally to the right from fixed engagement with the frame members 22 and 23. The cable extends around from the under side of this pulley S8 and back to a winch drum 91 that is carried by the tractor I0 and power driven therefrom under selective control. By the ar-' rangement Just described, the drum 91. upon being revolved in a clockwise direction, Fig. 1, will wind the cable 92 thereon and cause the telescoping rails 81 and 8! to travel forwardly. By this forward travel, the spikes 90 may be pushed against the tree being cut in its standing position whereby the tree may eventually be tilted over to permit it to drop under the influenceof tioned on the most favorable side of the tree to cause the tree to drop in the direction indicated by the aid of the push given by the mechanism just described. WhileI hav herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A cut-off saw device, comprising a support frame; driving means carried on the frame; a rockable frame; means interengaging therockable frame and the support frame to support and confine th .v rockable frame to rotation about a horizontal longitudinal axis; a shaft mounted on the rockable frame substantially normal to said axis and transversely thereacross; a saw swing frame; means rockably mounting said swing frame on said shaft entirely to'one side of said rockable frame to have its rotative axis in common with the axis of said rockable frame carried shaft; a saw mandrel carried by said swing frame spaced from said shaft and substantially parallel thereto; a saw mounted on the mandrel; driving means between said mandrel and said shaft; driving means between said support frame carried driving means and said rockable frame shaft; means for holding said rockable frame in selected positions of its rotation; and means for swinging said swing frame about its said axis throughout 360 degrees of travel.

2. A cut-off saw device comprising a support frame; driving means carried on the frame; a rockable frame; means interengaging the rockable frame and the support frame to support and confine the rockable frame to rotation about a horizontal longitudinal axis; a shaft mounted on the rockable frame substantially normal to said axis and transversely thereacross; a saw swing.

frame; means rockably. mounting said swing frame on said shaft entirely to one side of said rockable frame to have its rotative axis in common with the axis of said rockable frame carried shaft; a saw mandrel carried by said swing carried driving means and said rockable frame shaft and centered about the axis of rotation of the rockable frame; means for holding said rockable frame in selected positions of its rotation; and means for swinging said swing frame about its said axis; said rockable and support frame interengaging means consisting of a fifth wheellike structure comprising a member having a sircular bearing surface in a plane normal to said rockable frame axis and fixed to one frame, a second member fixed to the other of said two frames, a plurality of rollers spaced apart circumferentially around the second member, said second member being formed to have spaced apart walls adjacent said rollers, between which walls a portion of said bearing surface member is received for holding it against lateral displacement and vertical rocking of the rockable frame axis.

PIERRE VAN SICKLE' 

